Improved condensing- steam-engine



JOHN HOUPT, OF SPRINGFIELD, PENNSYLVAN IA.

Letters' Patent Na. 90,266, dama May 18, 1869.

imnovnn coNDI-:sme STEAM-ENGINE.

V'.|.''l1e Schedule refen'ed to in these Letters Patent and making part of the umo.

To all whom tt ma/ycomrn: l

Be it known that I, J oHN HOUPT, of Springfield, 'county of Bucks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Condensing Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and cxaet description of the same' My invention consists in the combination, with a single steam-cylinder, of condensers, which are arranged to operate as hereafter described, so that while the engine can be driven at a higher rate of speed, and With a higher pressure of steam than has here-tofore been considered practicable with conden'sing-engines, each condenser shall have sufficient time to cool and to perform its duty efi'ectively.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a piston-rod; B, the steam-chest; and c, the valve-rod.

esides the usual slide-valve, there is, within the steam-chest, a second,'which is so operated by a rod, c', driven by an eccentric on the main shaft of the engine, that it shall direct the exhaust steam from one end of the cylinder into a pipe, D, and from the opposite end of the cylinder into a similar pipe, D'.

The former of these pipes communicates with the steam-space of a condenser, F, and the'latter pipe with a condenseri, F', both condensers being, in the present instance, secnred in inclined positions upon a suitable base, H, in close proximity to each other.

The supply of cold water for the condensers is furnished from a single pipe, I, through brauches e this water, after having performed its duty, passing off through pipes f. v

The water' of condensation is drawn ofi` through the pipes J J, which lead to the air-pump.

The condensers shown in the drawing are similar to that for .which Letters Patent were allowed to me on the 16th day of November, A. D. 1868, the intcrior of each of them being separated into water-chambers, h and hl, a steam-space, 71-2, and a. chamber, If, for the collection of the water of condensation before it is Vertical or inclined tnbes, i i, closed at their upper ends, are contained in the Water-chamber h, and communicate with the steam-spacel h, and the partitio between the latter and. the chamber h3 is perforated with a number of holes,'which can be opened or closed by' means of a valve, j, operated in any suitable manner, the object of the said valve being to debar all 'steam from the chamber h3 until it is properly condensed.

When the condensers are arranged as above, their i operation is as follows:

The valve connected, with the rod d is so operated that when the piston of the engine is moving in the direction of the arrow, the exhaust steam shall pass from the cylinder to the pipe D, and thence .to the condenser F, which produces a vacuum in front of the piston, as usual. Then, as the motion of the piston is being reversed, the first pipe D is closed, and the exhaust steam from `the opposite end of the cylinder permitted to pass through the pipe D' into the second condenser F', the condenser F becoming, in the `mean time, perfectly cooled, and ready for a second charge of steam when the piston is again reversed.

It will be evident that an engine, when thns provided with two condensers, arranged to work alternately, can be driven at a much greater rate of speed, and with a more perfect condensation than usual; but as each condenser has to receive a full charge of steam from its own end of the cylinder, it must be of the same capacity, as though b'ut a single condenseriwere employed.

It should be here understood, althongh I have described a specific kind of surface-condenser, that jetcondensers, or any of the well-'known condensers,

whether tubular or not, maybe used in carrying out my invention.

When more than two condensers are used, their operation may be as follows:

The valve in the passage to one of the condensers sho`uld be opened just before the crank of the engine reaches the dead-centre, in order that this condenser may reduce the pressure of the steam in its own end ,of the cylinder. Then, as soon as the crank has passed the dead-centre; and just as the motion of the piston is being reversed, the valve of the first condenser is closed, and that of the second condenser, at the same end of the cylinder, opened, the latter condenser receiving the remaiuder of the charge 'of steam, and producing the required vacuum in front of the piston.

The other pair of condensers operates in 'a similar manner in exhausting the steam and producing a vacuumat the opposite end of the cylinder, when the piston is again reversed.

When au abundant supply of fresh water can be obtained, and two jet-condensers are employed, au engine can be worked with a high pressure of steam by arranging the said condensers to receive the exhaust steam from both ends of the cylinder inv the same mauner that each pair of surface-condensers,

above described, received the steam from one end only' i,

of the cylinder The jet-condenser will thus perform double the duty of the surface-condensers, but this is rendered practicable on account of their more rapid operation and cooling.

The object of thus passing the steam from each end rof theeylinder into two condensers, is to enable the pressure nd temperature of the steam before the piston to be reduced by the first eondenser, while the second eondenser,ha.ving,but1.ittle steam towithdralw and ooudense, forms a much more perfect vacuum in the cylinder than is usually obtained. 4

It Will be evident, without further deseriptiong-that by the employment of several eoudensers instead of one, as heretofore, an engine can be driven at a higher rate of speed, and with a. higher pressure-of steam than. usual, while each oondenser will have suflieient time to and to perform its duty properly.

a as'desoribed, for the purpose speoified'.

' In testimony'whereof, I have signed my name to Vthis specifioation, in the presenoe of two subseribilngf witnesses.

o JOHN HOUPT. Witnesses:

J om: WBJTE, HARRY SmTH. 

